WA Attorney General files lawsuit to block Kroger-Albertsons mega merger

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We have been clear and strong in our opposition to the proposed Kroger and Albertsons merger from day one. Attorney General Ferguson has been a leader in the effort to protect workers and consumers and he led the effort last year to try to stop Albertsons' $4 billion payout to wealthy shareholders. That was important. The announcement today of his lawsuit to stop the merger itself is welcome news.

 “As a grocery store worker and leader in our union, I feel very supported to have Attorney General Ferguson taking action to protect us from this bad merger proposal. Workers, shoppers and our communities need to prevent this proposed mega-merger from taking place,” - Yasmin Ashur, UFCW 3000 grocery store worker from the Albertsons in Port Orchard, WA.

Anti Kroger-Albertsons merger coalition launch Stop The Merger website

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United in Opposition to the Kroger-Albertsons Merger, Coalition of Over 100 Organizations from Across the Country Join Forces & Launch the “Stop the Merger” Website  

For Immediate Release: March 14, 2023
Contact: Tom Geiger, UFCW 3000, 206-604-3421

The Stop the Merger Coalition includes national, state and local organizations from across US

Des Moines, WA (March 14, 2023) – Today, a coalition of 100 organizations representing diverse interests from around the country have joined forces in the “Stop the Merger” campaign, a national and state-level effort to oppose the proposed $25-billion merger of grocery store chain giants Kroger and Albertsons. The coalition is announcing the launch of its website (www.NoGroceryMerger.com) which includes facts and research about the proposed merger’s negative impact, stories from community members, workers, and others, as well as tools for organizations and individuals to take action and communicate their opposition to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has the regulatory oversight responsibility to review proposed mergers such as this.

In October of 2022, Kroger and Albertsons announced they would pursue a $24.6 billion mega-merger, joining together the two largest standalone U.S. grocery chains, and thereby creating a monopoly in many areas across the country. Both these chains have stores and manufacturing facilities in nearly every state, employing over 700,000 workers across their numerous local banners. The mega-merger, currently undergoing FTC review, would drive out competition, increase food prices, create food deserts, and put hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk as well as hurt local farmers and ranchers. 

The coalition of over 100 organizations has written numerous letters to the FTC and state Attorneys General, held meetings with federal and state elected officials and regulators, held press conferences and virtual town halls, attended public events on the merger hosted by government officials, and participated in various local community activities opposing the merger. All this activity has helped reveal growing evidence that shows the real motives for the proposed merger: corporate greed at the hands of C-Suite executives and the private equity firms that are significant owners of their stock. The diverse and large number of groups across the nation now include organizations whose focus includes consumer protection, faith, economic justice, anti-poverty, food justice, environmental protection, women’s rights, Black Indigenous People of Color advocates, farmer and farmworker advocates, and many others.

For more information on the negative impact of the mega-merger, please visit: NoGroceryMerger.com. Interested organizations can also join the Stop the Merger Coalition through the form on the site.

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The Stop the Merger campaign includes over 100 national, state and local organizations representing diverse interests who share a common goal: to stop the proposed Kroger-Albertsons grocery merger because of its negative impact on our nation’s communities. For more information visit www.NoGroceryMerger.com

WA Court Put the Brakes on Albertsons’ Proposed $4 Billion Dividend

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Press Release from UFCW 3000, UFCW 367 and Teamsters 38

For immediate release: 11/3/2022
Contact: Tom Geiger, 206-604-3421

WA Court Put the Brakes on Albertsons’ Proposed $4 Billion Dividend

Seattle, WA – When Albertsons announced in mid-October that it had agreed to a purchase by Kroger, a handful of essential grocery store workers’ unions came out quickly and condemned the proposal saying it would hurt workers and shoppers. We called on federal and state regulators to stop the merger. And then the Attorney General of Washington filed a lawsuit in King County Superior Court to halt the payment of the $4 Billion Albertsons dividend that would be the 1st step of the merger agreement. Attorneys General in CA, IL, and DC filed a similar suit in the District of Columbia.

Today, after hearing the case presented by the WA Attorney General and a slew of attorneys from Albertsons and Kroger, the Court ruled to put a temporary restraining order on the payment that Albertsons had announced would happen on Monday November 7.

UFCW 367, UFCW 3000 and Teamsters 38 reacted: “We applauded these Attorneys General when they filed their lawsuits, and we applaud Attorney General Ferguson and his team for presenting a strong case today and, at least temporarily, putting a pause on Albertsons’ $4 Billion payout for rich stock holders instead of investing in lowering prices, improving store safety and increasing the wages of the workers in the store who made the stores function all during covid.”

Building our power as the largest UFCW Local in the nation

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On Tuesday December 14, our member-led executive board discussed and unanimously approved a Merger Agreement between our Union, UFCW 21 and the members of UFCW 1439! The same day the board members of UFCW local 1439 also approved the merger. This is exciting news and both boards feel strongly that together we will increase our ability to continue the fight for improved wages, working conditions and benefits as well as improve our staffing, schedules and workplace safety. Members will have the opportunity to vote to approve this powerful merger during our upcoming in-person Winter General Membership Meetings in February 2022. A formal notice for the meetings with times and locations will be sent to all members in advance of the meetings once we have locations confirmed. 


“When we are united, with thousands more worker voices across the state coming together as one, we have more resources to win better contracts and enforce those contracts. The new local will have over 33 million dollars in the strike and defense fund and over 110 staff to bargain and enforce our contracts.”

Kyong Barry, Front End Supervisor, Albertsons, South Auburn, E-Board Member
Derek Roybal, Cardiac Cath-Lab Technologist, Providence Sacred Heart, Spokane, E-Board Member


“This is huge! This merger unites over 50,000 workers in health care, grocery stores, food packing and processing plants, along with many other industries in Idaho, Washington and Oregon. This will help us all win higher wages, better benefits and safer workplaces.” 

Cindy Kirkpatrick-Cockett, Pharmacy Technician, Kaiser-Permanente, Tacoma South Medical, E-Board Member
Jeff Smith, Home Clerk, Fred Meyer, Snohomish, E-Board Member

Advantages of joining our Locals together

  • Together our locals will form UFCW 3000, the largest UFCW local in the country!

  • Members’ dues will not increase as a result of this merger.

  • When we unite, we win. It’s that simple. Building power across industries like grocery stores, meat-cutters, retail, health care, packing and processing, and others—helps us win better contracts and organize more workplaces where workers want a union but don’t yet have one.

  • Both our unions represent thousands of workers in Eastern Washington— this will double the size of our collective membership in Eastern and Central Washington Counties.

  • UFCW health care members and retail grocery store members acting together in counties in western Washington have already made great strides together— in places like Kitsap and Snohomish counties. The merger will expand that kind of solidarity to Spokane, Tri-Cities, Wenatchee and many other areas in the central and eastern parts of the state.

  • Our newly united union will have an expanded Member Resource Center, where members can call to get quick answers to questions including on weekends and late-night hours. We will also have a new Member Education Department and invest in Workforce Development and Training.